Knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among nurses in Lebanon

Danielle Saadeh; Hala Sacre; Souheil Hallit; Rita Farah; Pascale Salameh

doi:10.1111/ppc.12676

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among nurses in Lebanon

Perspect Psychiatr Care. 2021 Jul;57(3):1212-1221. doi: 10.1111/ppc.12676. Epub 2020 Nov 1.

Authors

Danielle Saadeh^{1

2

3}, Hala Sacre^{1

4}, Souheil Hallit^{1

5

6}, Rita Farah^{1

7}, Pascale Salameh^{1

7

8}

Affiliations

¹ INSPECT-LB, Institut National de Santé Publique, Epidémiologie Clinique et Toxicologie-Liban, Beirut, Lebanon.
² Faculty of Public Health, Lebanese University, Fanar, Lebanon.
³ Center for Research in Public Health, Pharmacoepidemiology Surveillance Unit, Faculty of Public Health, Lebanese University, Fanar, Lebanon.
⁴ Drug Information Center, Order of Pharmacists of Lebanon, Beirut, Lebanon.
⁵ Research Department, Psychiatric Hospital of the Cross, Jal Eddib, Lebanon.
⁶ Faculty of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK), Jounieh, Lebanon.
⁷ Faculty of Pharmacy, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon.
⁸ Faculty of Medicine, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon.

PMID: 33135217
DOI: 10.1111/ppc.12676

Abstract

Purpose: To assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among nurses in Lebanon.

Methods: An online questionnaire was completed by 311 Lebanese nurses between March and April 2020.

Results: Only 2% of nurses worked in a specialized COVID-19 ward and 20% have cared for a COVID-19 patient. The majority had sufficient knowledge of COVID-19; 62% declared being afraid of getting infected whereas 90% were afraid for their family members to get infected due to their occupational exposure. The majority of nurses (84.6%) declared following infection prevention and control precautions. Protective equipments were available in limited amounts in hospitals.

Practice implications: Nurses in Lebanon seem to have a satisfactory level of knowledge about COVID-19. Their safety and well-being remain a priority in this critical period.

Keywords: COVID-19; attitude; knowledge; nurses; practice.

MeSH terms

COVID-19*
Cross-Sectional Studies
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Humans
Lebanon
Nurses*
SARS-CoV-2
Surveys and Questionnaires